The consensus statement identifies several ‘areas of need’, including:

• Needs assessment for every acute hospital and associated catchment area to establish scale of intervention required to make a difference to hospital admissions
• Routine alcohol screening and case identification of alcohol risk groups within each acute hospital
• Clear and sustained funding for alcohol services
• Joined-up working, communication, and clear treatment pathways for people with an alcohol problem
• Multidisciplinary and multi-agency working to better support patients with an alcohol problem
• Clear and specific guidance, standards, and procedures for staff training and education on alcohol problems and treatment
• Alcohol to be seen as a priority by service leaders
• Assertive outreach/ care for people with repeated admissions for alcohol problems
• Changes to culture, attitudes, and reduced stigma surrounding alcohol problems.

We are calling for Scottish government action on five priority areas to improve alcohol treatment services:

1. Hospital Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) should be included as a detailed part of any future National Service Specification.
2. Standards for alcohol treatment should be created and implemented in hospitals in Scotland.
3. Patient pathways should be clear and formalised for use by local areas and initiated through the routine screening and case identification of alcohol risk groups.
4. Education bodies responsible for the training and development of healthcare professionals should provide basic education on alcohol for all disciplines.
5. Each Integration Joint Board together with Alcohol Drug Partnerships should establish a strategic group to oversee an assessment of need in relation to alcohol treatment services.